MULATTO (Iyila) (Editing)

chapter forty three

Summer went into July. The air was typically warm and frenzy, but not as hot as it had been in June. The nights were shorter and the days longer. The fields blossomed and the flowers grew rapidly; filling the Southern air with an enticing scent. Just like how the news of Gabriel and Anne's disengagement was circulating in the air. It was on the lips of every man and woman. The story had spread from elegant mistresses at tea parties to the loafers at the pub house.

The story had destabilised his father and almost gave him a heart attack. Anne was the only subject they agreed on. The only unifying factor, the only decision his father had ever approved in his life since she was a from the South and more importantly a daughter of a wealthy planter. The only heir to a fortune and a goddaughter to a duchess in England. All of this wealth that his father had envisaged would to be controlled by a John. He didn't mistake the disgusted stare he had seen on his father's face when he had confronted him the next morning. The distaste, anger and hate which could disorganised the heart of a loyal son. Gabriel had stopped been a loyal son since he turned fourteen. That morning had been laced with tension and fear. The house had been quiet, just the loud voice of John and Gabriel arguing in his study, no one had intervened since the Libary was locked. Susan and Collete had only waited outside until Gabriel finally stormed out; as furious as a wounded lion.

His father had tried cajoling him with the John's pride talk. Of how their ancestors from the beginning of time had been wealthy planters and dedicated fellows which could do anything to preserve the families name and honour rather than bash it as he was doing.

Gabriel was unsure if his father was angry because he had left Anne or because the brat had told everyone, who cared to listen, that she had left him because of an Irish mistress and his bastard son in Illinios. Most planter had bastards whom they sent to the north to be with their relatives. Such things were rarely frowned at (as men were permitted to have plenty of mistresses, but at a long distance). Yet his father had never liked Irish for reasons no one knew.

Although Gabriel had braced himself against Anne's lies since he asked her to preserve her name, he hadn't expected her to use such a damaging and scandalous excuse for their disengagement. He knew she had done it on purpose to sabotage and scare him for life. Indeed hell knows no fury like a woman scorned.

However, being the man he was he didn't care much about society even though the urge to break the jaw of fellows who had stared at him as though he was sin itself was immense.

He saw the way he was looked at by people as if they were any better than him. As if their city of Negroes was not enough reason for God almighty to strike them all. Some mothers even dragged their daughter away when he passed as if the sight of him would immediately put their daughters in a family way.

Even the acclaimed over righteous brethren of the church dared judge him, not a few, he knew their bastards scattered all over the country. Once he had felt like leaving Charleston but he knew that would only worsen the story and give Anne the amount of pleasure which she so earnestly sought. He knew that was her intent and giving her that luxury was one thing he wasn't eager to do. He was done running away from his problems.

Neither Susan's pestering or Collete's pleading made him counter Anne's story, they knew the truth but he had given Anne his word. He was a man of his word and going back on them was not one of his traits not even if his image was at stake.

Nevertheless, the story didn't stay for long, after soaring through the first week to the second, it began to wither at the end and before the last week of July, the story was already dead and replaced by the story of a pregnant lass. Aside from that life resumed itself.

Nothing significant occurred, though the usual slave business continued, no story of a Negro killed, or any attempted runaway. It was as if August had come with an unusual tranquility. Though tension was still in the air and Gabriel had not properly conversed with John, still Gabriel knew all was not well with them.